The present invention relates generally to the field of human-computer touch interfaces, and more particularly to touch interfaces that allow for identification of users.
A touch interface is a computer pointing technology based on detection of touch. Touch interfaces generally have a surface that acts both as a display and as an input device. The user executes several kinds of gestures, such as tap, drag, and pinch, on the surface, often acting on displayed virtual buttons and other graphical objects. These gestures may then be interpreted and acted upon by the host device.
Multitouch interfaces are touch interfaces that have the ability to detect more than one point of contact with the surface, for example when a pinch gesture or other complex gesture is executed with two or more fingers. Multitouch interfaces may also detect multiple persons simultaneously providing input, for example when simple or complex gestures are executed by multiple persons on a large touch table. However, when multiple persons, either separately or simultaneously, execute gestures on a multitouch interface, there is no rapid, simple, and reliable way to identify which person is providing the input.